Motorway riding tips and advice please

[want-a-harley]

Hi Fullas.

This is my first posting and I would like some advise or find out wether I'm just being a nana. Passed my restricted the other day. Instructer had no comments and said I would fly through the full. Any a bit about my riding. I had a vespa for about 2 years in London upon moving home I have a GN250 which I plan to move up from in Spring of 09.

Anyway my point is I am fully confident at speeds of 70km/h or less and driving in heavy traffic, today went for some short distances on the motorway to practice travelling at 100km/h. Even though there was no breeze the "self generated" wind made me fell real uncomfortable. The bike never moved but felt like it might. I am 6"6 and 120kg so create quite a wall.

So:
- Is this just practice, will it feel better as I go along, am I just being a nana?
- Should I just get confident enough so as to pass full and then move up to a heavier bike with lower centre of gravity straight away? In the mean time is it safe to use motorways fo commuting etc?
- What should I do with my posture, I felt myself scrunching up so as to streamline myself a bit better

Any advise appreciated

[Swoop]

Try to relax. The seating position will let you sit quite comfortably. The bike is a naked and you are going to be dealing with the wind, so learn to relax and accept it.
On the motorway, dominate your lane!
Ride in the right hand wheel track that a car leaves. Do not sit in the left, as you will be forced off of the road.
Use the left hand lane. This is common courtesy.

It is quite safe to use the motorway, just keep alert at all times.
When I say "Relax", that is in a physical sense... never relax mentally! Keep your eyes on swivels and use your mirrors.

By the way, Welcome to KB!

[Howsie]

Welcome to KB!

My flatmate has an older GN and as stated because it is a naked bike there is a lot more wind. Its just something you will have to get used to on the bike. If the wind gets up you might find yourself hunkering down to reduce your wind resistance which will help with your speed.

In short, just accept that thats the way it goes. When you upgrade your bike, if you get a sports then you will feel like a knife through the air, a naked will feel similar to the GN but because of its bigger engine it will be easier to get through that pesky air.

Keep it shiny side up

Howswie

[martybabe]

You are a big lad on a small bike, something akin to a flag in the wind. 100k can feel very different on different bikes, even different nakeds.

The noise and the wind will feel very strange to you at first and its effects will be amplified given that there's such a lot of you to blow around, you will get more comfortable the more ks you do and a bigger perhaps faired bike will suit you better.

In the mean time, ear plugs will help reduce the wind noise so you don't sound like your doing warp factor 8 and I suggest you have a look at a few screens, you don't need a ranch slider door size even one of those fly screens can make a huge difference.

Riding my naked at 100k into a head wind can be a right pain in the arse, you get the urge to double up against the winds onslaught as you describe and I'm nowhere near as lofty as you, but I have a cut down fly screen about 200mm high is all and I could comfortably slice into that head wind on the same day at twice that speed if it were legal of course.

The trade off is a bit more wind noise usually but with decent ear plugs it won't matter much and you can concentrate more on the riding.

Give it a go and good luck. Oh and welcome to KB

[MIXONE]

Practice,practice,practice!
And welcome.

[74 knuckle]

Hey man all The advice in the world wont change the way you feel. 1 of my first bikes was a GN and like you I felt real uncomfortable on the motorway. Auckland motorway, at that. However its almost 25 years later, Ive had shitloads of various bikes, dressed & naked and all sorts of speeds, if ridings what you want to do. Do at your pace, and ride at what your comfy with, on what you feel is right for you

[sunhuntin]

keep your arms relaxed... tension in the arms transfers to the bars and affects the way it handles [or it feels that way] if you have to tense up, tense your legs against the tank and then flap your elbows up and down.

you do get used to the wind. dont fight it when its gusty. i allow my bike to wander all over the lane. so long as it stays inside the lines, im happy. thats another way to stay relaxed cos you arent fighting it to maintain a straight line.

im about the same weight as you, and find the wind to be a PITA when its headwind. i lean forward a bit, and put my head down. helps a bit with the wind, but mainly its so im not pulling back on my arms and losing control of the bars.

[toebug]

You are a bit too big for the tiny GN, but it would give me the shits riding it on the motorway too!

Wind is always part of the deal riding naked bikesbut once youve spent a bit of time on the road you'll get used to it and learn where your body needs to be for you to ride comfortably.

You may have to harden up a little or you could get a bike with nana knickers!

[crazyv]

I too have a GN 250 and have been biking to/from work via SH1 from Manukau to Auckland for almost a year now. The air resistance can be tricky. Even worse is when its blowing and the GN goes on a bit of a wander within the lane.

Like sunhunting mentioned I try to keep the hands relaxed and elbows pointing down (this is mentioned on the Owners manual too) If its blowing real hard I would hunch down a bit to bite through the resistance somewhat. Or if it gets to the point that I am struggling, I slow down (gradually), move off to the left lane. I don't feel so anxious now that I have handled quite a few rides on SH1, so in closing I guess more experience you get the better.

PS. Among one my first few rides, with a on and off wind from the side I unknowingly was been blown to the other lane, luckily I noticed this before treading on the other lane! I now keep full awareness of my position on the lane and try to stick to the right tyre lane when possible. HTH

Welcome to KB!

[mattian]

I was very much in the same boat as you not so long ago and I agree with everything thats been said so far. I was very nervous about hitting the motorway for the first time. Now I ride over the Harbour bridge and back 5 days a week in all weather conditions. The only thing I can suggest is that you get out there and practice,practice, practice. Try to get on the motorway as often as you can. You will find that soon enough it will become second nature to you. Oh, and postion yourself on the road so that people can see you in their mirrors. Don't sit in peoples blind spots. I know that advice sounds like a given in every circimstance but its absolutely imperative on the motorway when people are hauling arse and changing lanes often without warning.

[want-a-harley]

Cheers for the help guys. I'll get out early tomorrow when it's noce and quiet

[sunhuntin]

a few more ideas.

watch your following distances, as well as your mirrors. be prepared to hit the brakes at the lighting of brake lights in front, even if they are a few cars ahead. if you get gated, do what you can to allow them to pass [dont often ride motorways, so my advice is pretty bad there] if needed, pull right off if its safe to do so

[varminter]

I know what you mean about the wind when the speed gets up a bit, I'm only six foot and I feel it. In fact I often check to see if the wheels are still on the ground, I've also tried to lay down on the tank when no one's looking, that helps. Yesterday I tried a Suzuki GSR (or something) with a screen and a bit of fairing, it was so much better, especially as it gets up there without any trouble. I'm in love

[Ixion]

Meh. Wait until you find what the wind's like on a naked at 200 clicks.

Was a daywhen nobody had fairings , and nobody complained about a bit of wind.

[Lucy]

Where do you get those wee screens?